Sri Lanka’s minimum wage changed twice in two years, and most websites — and more than a few employers — are still quoting the old numbers. Here is the figure that is actually in force in 2026, where it comes from, what counts toward it, and what you can do if your pay is below it.
The current minimum wage: Rs. 30,000 a month
From 1 January 2026, the national minimum wage is Rs. 30,000 per month, or Rs. 1,200 per day, for all workers in any industry or service. That’s set by the National Minimum Wage of Workers (Amendment) Act No. 11 of 2025, which raised the minimum in two steps: Rs. 27,000 (Rs. 1,080/day) from April to December 2025, then Rs. 30,000 from January 2026.
| Period | Monthly minimum | Daily minimum | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 – Mar 2025 | Rs. 21,000 | Rs. 840 | Amendment Act No. 16 of 2024 |
| Apr – Dec 2025 | Rs. 27,000 | Rs. 1,080 | Amendment Act No. 11 of 2025 |
| From 1 Jan 2026 | Rs. 30,000 | Rs. 1,200 | Amendment Act No. 11 of 2025 |
National Minimum Wage of Workers Act No. 3 of 2016, as amended. The 2025 amendment was certified on 23 July 2025.
What happened to the “budgetary relief allowance”?
Until 2025, the legal floor was really two numbers: the minimum wage plus Budgetary Relief Allowances (BRAs) under separate Acts from 2005 and 2016. The 2025 amendment tidied this up: BRAs payable as at 31 March 2025 are now consolidated into the minimum wage itself. So Rs. 30,000 is the all-in floor — there is no extra statutory allowance on top. Importantly, the law also says an employer cannot cut any other wage or allowance you were already receiving to absorb the increase.
What counts toward the Rs. 30,000
The Act measures your basic or consolidated salary plus cost-of-living and similar allowances. It does not include overtime, production incentives, or one-off payments — an employer can’t pay a Rs. 22,000 basic and claim your overtime “tops you up” to the legal minimum. If your fixed monthly package (basic + COLA-type allowances) is under Rs. 30,000 in 2026, you are being underpaid.
A few groups sit outside the Act: domestic workers, certain apprentices and trainees, and employees of co-operatives, charities and some statutory bodies.
Wages boards can set a higher floor for your trade
The national minimum is exactly that — a minimum. Over 40 wages boards under the Wages Boards Ordinance set trade-specific minimum wages for sectors like garments, tea, rubber, construction, printing and security services, and several of these are above the national floor or add mandatory allowances. If you work in a wages-board trade, the higher of the two applies to you. Your district labour office can tell you which board covers your job.
Paid below the minimum? Here’s what to do
- Check the real gap. Compare your fixed monthly pay (not counting overtime) against Rs. 30,000 — and check your payslip deductions are right with our salary calculator.
- Raise it in writing with your employer first; some underpayment is payroll error, especially after the two-step 2025/2026 increase.
- Complain to the Department of Labour. The Commissioner General of Labour enforces the Act: unpaid amounts can be recovered through a Magistrate’s Court, the burden of proving payment falls on the employer, and there’s no time bar on recovering what you’re owed.
- Know the stakes for the employer: paying below the minimum is an offence carrying a fine and even imprisonment, and company directors can be held personally liable.
Earning above the minimum? Check your deductions instead.
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Try the salary calculator →Quick answers on the legal minimum.
Rs. 30,000 per month (or Rs. 1,200 per day) since 1 January 2026, under the National Minimum Wage of Workers (Amendment) Act No. 11 of 2025. During April–December 2025 it was Rs. 27,000. If you work in a trade covered by a wages board that sets a higher minimum, the higher figure applies.
Partly. The legal minimum is measured against your basic or consolidated salary plus cost-of-living and similar fixed allowances. The former budgetary relief allowances are now consolidated into it. Overtime, incentives and one-off payments don't count — an employer cannot use them to bring you up to Rs. 30,000.
The Department of Labour — through your nearest district labour office or its head office. The Commissioner General of Labour can order recovery of unpaid wages via a Magistrate's Court, the employer bears the burden of proving they paid you correctly, and underpaying the minimum wage is a criminal offence with fines and potential imprisonment.